We urge the city of Sarasota to restrict opening of S East Ave to the Legacy Trail and Payne Park!

 

Given:  That The city of Sarasota plans to extend a fork of the Legacy Trail through Payne Park along the fence bordering the three Condominiums and Concordia Church.

A related plan will break through the wall at the end of S East Ave, opening the back and side of Park Lane Condominium to everyone, at all hours day and night.

 

Summary:  Why we do NOT want unrestricted opening of S East Ave:

We worry that this opening will lead to an invasion of privacy and security, trespassing, loss of parking along the street, Park Lane may even lose the edge of its property to cycling lanes.

 

We question the whole point of opening S East Ave:

* Few pedestrians with innocent intentions need to travel along East Ave:  downtown and local businesses are all more easily reached directly from S Washington Blvd. 

 

* Pedestrians have no place to go once at the end of the block, since there is no crosswalk across East Ave and there is no sidewalk along the north side of Wood St.

 

How would opening S East Ave at Payne Park hurt Park Lane and vicinity?

Making a lane for pedestrians would either take-away parking, or carve-out the edge of Park Lane for such a pedestrian path.

* Park Lane Condominium critically depends on East Ave parking.  There are 69 bedrooms and only 49 spaces on premises.  East Ave is the ONLY parking available for partners, roommates and visitors.

 

* Park Lane residents and nearby neighbors purchased homes with the expectation that privacy and security would not be invaded in this way.  Losing  parking, privacy and security may kill property values.

 

* Collisions risked between pedestrians and cars on this very narrow street without sidewalks or a bike lane.

 

 

As to the Trail extension itself

Losing any green space in Payne Park is opposed by over 700 who signed the petition (www.change.org/PreservePaynePark

Trail width could even exceed 14' (cycles) + 4` (median) + 7' (walkers) = 25 feet, plus the “Picnic Area”.

 https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/sarasota/2023/09/09/sarasota-county-looking-ahead-to-wider-and-safer-legacy-trail/70788703007/

 

* More floods on Park Lane and City Walk Condominium properties from increased stormwater runoff due to paving the edge of Payne Park.

 

* Trail construction will be noisy, messy, and will disturb the ground near Park Lane land that has a history of prior instability and foundation cracking.

 

 

What we ask of the City

* retain a barrier between East Ave and Payne Park if at all possible.  We need this barrier.

 

* As a compromise, we implore the City to do the following:

-- install a gate that is automatically locked from dusk till dawn. 

-- Issue parking permits only to those who are legal residents of Park Lane Condominium and immediate vicinity, or who are permanent employees of the adjacent Sarasota Ford dealership.  Erect signs clearly identifying the parking as "Permit Only".

-- Ensure regular Police patrols of the street. 

 

-- Create a crosswalk across Wood St, with clear signs and pavement striping.

 

This petition is addressed to

Commissioners of the city of Sarasota Commissioners @sarasotaFl.gov and to the City Manager, Marlon.Brown@SarasotaFl.gov

Alta Vista Neighborhood Association Board:  AltaVistaSarasota@gMail.com

City Council of Neighborhood Associations:   sarasotaCCNA@gmail.com  and President@sarasotaccna.org

 

Petition signers are welcome to send letters to the above to voice our position.  In your letter, insert a link to this petition:   www.change.org/SaveEastAve

 

 

Note: Donations made on this website support Change.org, NOT the petition sponsors.